On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Iran threatened to target U.S. military bases in the region if conflict were to break out. President Donald Trump expressed diminished confidence in reaching a nuclear deal with Iran.
A U.S. official announced a reduction in staff at the embassy in Iraq due to security concerns. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations advised ships to exercise caution in the Gulf.
Talks between Tehran and Washington have been ongoing since April to revive the 2015 nuclear accord, which Trump abandoned in 2018. Trump, since returning to office in January, has reinstated his "maximum pressure" campaign on Tehran.
Iran's Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh stated that Iran would target all U.S. bases in the region if the talks fail. The United States maintains multiple bases in the Middle East, with the largest in Qatar.
Iran and the U.S. are at odds over Iran's uranium enrichment program. Iran defends its enrichment as a non-negotiable right, while the U.S. views it as a red line.
In an interview published on June 11, 2025, Trump said he was "less confident" about reaching a deal. Iran currently enriches uranium to 60%, exceeding the 3.67% limit of the 2015 deal.
During an interview on the New York Post's podcast "Pod Force One," recorded on June 9, 2025, Trump expressed a waning hope for a deal. He stated that he was less confident than a few months prior.
On May 31, after the fifth round of talks, Iran received "elements" of a U.S. proposal. Iran plans to present a counter-proposal, criticizing the U.S. draft for not offering sanctions relief.
On June 9, 2025, the United Nations nuclear watchdog began a meeting in Vienna to discuss Iran's atomic activities. The IAEA meeting followed a report criticizing Iran's cooperation.
In January 2020, Iran fired missiles at bases in Iraq housing American troops in retaliation for the U.S. strike that killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Dozens of U.S. soldiers suffered traumatic brain injuries.